Carbon Nanodot Coated Silica Improves The Separation Process For Column Chromatography
Location
SU 215
Department
Chemistry
Abstract
Carbon nanodots possess low toxicity, ease of functionality, and low production cost. This allows for a wide range of applications making the carbon nanodots a very useful tool. These dots are nanosized semiconductors with unique optical properties and have been used in a variety of biological applications. Blue fluorescence carbon nanodots are produced in this work using the “bottom-up” approach. The dots are produced from fructose and sulfuric acid, and exhibit a very high fluorescence, which indicates that they are very small in size. The surface of the carbon nanodots has many different functional groups, therefore making it modifiable with organic, inorganic, or polymeric substances allowing for different functional properties. With standardizing a method to produce the fluorescent blue carbon nanodots, we will be able to apply them for the use in the stationary phase in chromatography columns to improve the separation process. The most effective ratio of sulfuric acid and fructose was pursued in terms of clarity and highest concentration of carbon nanodots. The clarity of the solution allows for more carbon nanodots to be visible and would need less filtration which would cause a loss of carbon nanodots. With the proper ratio discovered for the highest concentration, there will be more of the product with the least amount of resources used. The concentrations of the carbon nanodots are measured in a UV spectrophotometer. Chromatography columns packed with silica were used to test the eluting order of red, yellow, and blue food dyes. The mobile phase used was a 3M solution of KI with the addition of methanol. The three dyes were combined with silica and DI water. The solution was run through the column and the combined dyes were then added to the column. The eluting order of the three primary colors was observed, yellow first, red, and then blue. Blue took the longest to move through the column, so adjustments were made to the addition of methanol. The nanodots surround each particle of silica, allowing for better separation through the mobile phase. Each nanodot is less than 50 nm in size so the surface area of the silica particle is covered with many carbon dots. This is expected to improve the separation process and elution time with the silica coated carbon nanodots. Once the method was standardized, comparing the columns with silica-coated nanodots and only silica was done side-by-side. The silica was coated with the nanodots and the solution of KI and methanol was run through the column. The food dye was added and the KI and methanol solution was used as the mobile phase. Observation of the separation in the stationary phase was improved with the carbon dots compared to the column with uncoated silica.
Carbon Nanodot Coated Silica Improves The Separation Process For Column Chromatography
SU 215
Carbon nanodots possess low toxicity, ease of functionality, and low production cost. This allows for a wide range of applications making the carbon nanodots a very useful tool. These dots are nanosized semiconductors with unique optical properties and have been used in a variety of biological applications. Blue fluorescence carbon nanodots are produced in this work using the “bottom-up” approach. The dots are produced from fructose and sulfuric acid, and exhibit a very high fluorescence, which indicates that they are very small in size. The surface of the carbon nanodots has many different functional groups, therefore making it modifiable with organic, inorganic, or polymeric substances allowing for different functional properties. With standardizing a method to produce the fluorescent blue carbon nanodots, we will be able to apply them for the use in the stationary phase in chromatography columns to improve the separation process. The most effective ratio of sulfuric acid and fructose was pursued in terms of clarity and highest concentration of carbon nanodots. The clarity of the solution allows for more carbon nanodots to be visible and would need less filtration which would cause a loss of carbon nanodots. With the proper ratio discovered for the highest concentration, there will be more of the product with the least amount of resources used. The concentrations of the carbon nanodots are measured in a UV spectrophotometer. Chromatography columns packed with silica were used to test the eluting order of red, yellow, and blue food dyes. The mobile phase used was a 3M solution of KI with the addition of methanol. The three dyes were combined with silica and DI water. The solution was run through the column and the combined dyes were then added to the column. The eluting order of the three primary colors was observed, yellow first, red, and then blue. Blue took the longest to move through the column, so adjustments were made to the addition of methanol. The nanodots surround each particle of silica, allowing for better separation through the mobile phase. Each nanodot is less than 50 nm in size so the surface area of the silica particle is covered with many carbon dots. This is expected to improve the separation process and elution time with the silica coated carbon nanodots. Once the method was standardized, comparing the columns with silica-coated nanodots and only silica was done side-by-side. The silica was coated with the nanodots and the solution of KI and methanol was run through the column. The food dye was added and the KI and methanol solution was used as the mobile phase. Observation of the separation in the stationary phase was improved with the carbon dots compared to the column with uncoated silica.
Comments
Stefan Tsonchev is the faculty sponsor of this project.